island cassie

My knowledge of fishtail palms is very limited but from what I have observed - there appears to be 2 types - one forms a shaggy clump and the other a single tree. I have the latter type and in 4 years they have grown from about 8ft to about 40ft and are now starting to flower. They are absolutely gorgeous and I have never had to trim pups or sideshoots from them. Now people here (whose knowledge I suspect) are telling me that after they flower - they will die! Please say it ain't so!!! Apart from the fact that I love them to bits - they cost US$1000 each and I could never replace them!!!

Cassie

Lilith

I am afraid that they are right about that. You probably have either Caryota gigas, Caryota No, or Caryota maxima. They do flower ate about 40 ft and then they expire. You would have to start them from seed again. They are pretty fast growing though.

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island cassie

Lilith - I didn't want to believe it - but if it is true I will have to radically rethink my plans, starting with the relocation of the orchids that are growing on them. They are fast growing trees and I can and will grow more from seed. Thanks for confirming that this could be the case, and I will inspect a neighbours tree that flowered a little earlier than mine, very carefully. Another project I think as I have 4 of them (for the time being!) haha!

Thanks again
Cassie

lorax

Cass - you can leave the orchids on the stump after the plant expires; it makes an interesting landscaping effect - just fill it with epiphytes and let it be, like big natural pillars.

If you've got offshoots, it will come back from those.

dablo93

the clumping one will be alive, the new palms, the offshoots will just grow after the motherpalm died

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island cassie

These are all single trees and not one ever had an offshoot - wish they had now! Good idea Lorax - plant them up even more and make features of them. Yep - that's what I'll do if they die and while I wait for the seed to grow. Thanks everyone - I feel more cheerful about it now.

Dean W.

Cassie, here's some links that might be helpful.
Floridata: Caryota mitis
Caryotas, Did You know? Fishtail Palm

Also be careful when you harvest the fruit it can irritate the skin.

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island cassie

Dean - thanks for the information which was very useful. Not sure which ones I have but here are some pics.

Dean W.

Nice- simply beautiful!

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Tropicallvr

Great idea.

And if you have profesionals remove them or do it yourself, the trunks are full of some nasty acid crystals or something like that, so wear eye and body and possibly respritory protection.

Dean W.

I've also heard their stumps are as hard as a rock! So be prepared.

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island cassie

Thanks for all the information - I had no idea!! Well I think that settles it - I will leave them where they are and plant the trunks up with orchids, vines and bromeliads. Just have to be careful when trimming off any dead stuff.

Cassie